This 12-foot Burmese python was captured in Lehigh Acres by FWC Officer Brad Bell. The python was a pet abandoned by its owner after moving.

Written by

A.C. Shilton
Special to news-press.com

There are certain things you just don't want to find in your yard. A Burmese python probably tops that list - especially if you own a bite-sized morsel of a dog. But how do you know if what just slithered past is of the horribly invasive variety or just a friendly neighborhood native?

Jenny Ketterlin Eckles, the non-native wildlife biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Coalition, says the majority of python sightings her organization receives are actually sightings of native snakes. And because several of these native reptiles are actually threatened species, it's ...